QF3: France - Italy

[Levenspiel]

Game time: Wed 14 Sep - 17:15 (GMT+2)

[Toxicity]

France wins easily...

[fasoulaki]

France wins easily...

Allez les Bleus!!!

[christodoulou76]

Milutinov shouldn't play a second yesterday, because he is unplayable against 5 man out offense.

Does this mean Gobert is unplayable v Italy?

[Killer Bob]

Does this mean Gobert is unplayable v Italy?

Absolutely. Fall too. But it was even more obvious against Serbia. Because all team was built around Jokic. Changing superstar and leader of the team for unplayable player is just unforgivable. Pesic basically did seppuku.

[Toxicity]

Gobert is unplayable for Italy since he's more athletic and bigger than Jokic... yeah he's less talented of course but Italy usually suffers a lot the bigger and more athletic teams (like France)... the key may be the 3p shot from Melli to take Gobert/Fall outside the paint but it won't be easy at all because this way of playing increases fatigue.

All being said, i think Italy has a shot to defeat finally the France team after the last matchup... but they have to limit Fournier and Heurtel's killer mentality.

[Chichi Magic]

Forza Azzurri !

[R1ou]

Gobert is unplayable for Italy since he's more athletic and bigger than Jokic... yeah he's less talented of course but Italy usually suffers a lot the bigger and more athletic teams (like France)... the key may be the 3p shot from Melli to take Gobert/Fall outside the paint but it won't be easy at all because this way of playing increases fatigue.

All being said, i think Italy has a shot to defeat finally the France team after the last matchup... but they have to limit Fournier and Heurtel's killer mentality.

If there's anything Heurtel can kill that's his own team.

[Nemanja95]

France has better player, italian team is better composed, has amazing atmosphere, France is questionable, after so many years extraordinary connection between players, Parker and Diaw are retired, Batum aren't here. Best players are Fournier and Gobert, in that sense I think in best case they partially can save from past years. It's question will Italy could bring echo of big win in their play on this game, or way of win against Serbia, exhausted them emotionally to play one more similar game. To me, seems like it's coming time for Italy. I would predict they will win bronze medal against Spain for 3rd place-

[Kesokis]

I picked Italy. It will be a matchup between Italy’s 5 out offense and France traditional defense, but I feel that Italy is such a bad matchup for France, especially Gobert could struggle. Fournier will have to show up big time for France to prevail.

[radallo]

Gobert was best scorer for France in the first friendly game (OT loss for italy), and had a perfect shooting night in the second one (+32 France)..

..ok.. friendly games... ok no Gallinari is a different team... but I don't feel he will struggle against Italy.

Hope you are right, though

[Toxicity]

Gobert may struggle on difense, if Melli (or Polonara) shoots well from 3p line but i doubt he'll struggle to score easy basket around the rim... he's simply too much physical for italian interior difense. I wonder how many points he'll score on putbacks...

[Shawshank]

One year ago Italy France similiar rosters played in Olympics 1/4.

Gobert was good 22pts+9reb versus shooting Italians bigs

Gobert is more mobile than Jokic and are alot better defender overall.

Small guards is too difficult for him, but versus mobile shooting bigs Gobert have enough speed

[Joško Poljak Fan]

You can't deny the ball to Gobert from the front, the way Melli did to Jokič, that is a notable difference, but than again, Gobert is far from an all round threat and it's all a completely different story compared to ita-ser game.
I wouldn't be worried about Gobert if I was Italian, he'll score the baskets he'll be delivered by others, meaning it's on Fournier, Huertel, Yabusele and how they'll be able to set him up.
Personaly I think France has a bigger issue on how much they'll be able to play Gobert, nevermind he has the legs to f.e. pay attention to Melli running on a 3point line, but in case that happens, France/Gobert lose their core purpouse, defending the paint and as soon as Italy would start stretching Gobert like that, what's the point on keeping him on the floor? Melli seems like one of the better suited players for something like that. M'Baye should replace all of Fall's minutes as well as Poirer's. Generally I think France is the one that will have to adapt.
Along with Gobert out or on 3p line, the notorious French defense also won't be able to put as much pressure on the perimeter as they ussualy do.

Basicaly it's a notably different ball game without Gobert on the floor and Pozzecco definately watched the way Slovenia played against France with small lineup Murič/Čančar/Dončič playing 80% of PF/C minutes while Murič + Čančar were shooting only 2/9 from 3p = on a bad day.

[Shawshank]

France gonna play Gobert 20min+ always. In what game somebody forced France to put Gobert to bench?

If France plays Gobert againts Slovenia with Muric/Camcar at C.

Gobert is rebounding beast,he won overtime versus Turkey just with rebounding.

I Olympic 1/4 it was Melli who had bad game not Gobert in last matchup between them.